Abberley Neighbourhood Development Plan 2020 – 2030 DJN Planning Limited · April 2021 · For Abberley Parish Council [this page blank] CONTENTS Page LIST OF POLICIES 1 1. SETTING THE SCENE 2 Introduction 2 Format of the Neighbourhood Development Plan 2 National and local planning policy context 3 2. ABBERLEY NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA 5 The community of Abberley 6 Environment 7 Economy 8 Key issues 8 3. VISION AND OBJECTIVES 10 Vision 10 Objectives 10 4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 12 5. SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY 13 Type of new housing 13 Criteria for development of Land at The Orchard 15 Community facilities 18 6. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 20 Landscape character 20 Key Views 23 Biodiversity and Geodiversity 26 Local Green Spaces 30 7. BUILT ENVIRONMENT 33 Building design 33 Abberley Conservation Area 37 Non-designated heritage assets 40 8. ECONOMY 41 Employment and farm diversification 41 Local retail and service facilities 42 9. DELIVERING THE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN 43 Community actions 43 PLANS 1 Abberley Neighbourhood Area 5 2 Concept plan for development of Land at The Orchard 17 3 Community facilities 19 4 Landscape types 22 5 Key views 24 6 Local Wildlife Sites 28 7 Local Geological Sites and Grassland Inventory Sites 29 8 Local Green Spaces 31 9 Abberley Conservation Area 38 APPENDICES A: EVIDENCE BASE 46 B: LOCAL GREEN SPACES 48 LIST OF POLICIES Page ABY1 Sustainable development 12 ABY2 Type of new housing 13 ABY3 Criteria for development of Land at The Orchard 15 ABY4 Community facilities 18 ABY5 Landscape character 20 ABY6 Key Views 23 ABY7 Biodiversity and Geodiversity 26 ABY8 Local Green Spaces 30 ABY9 Building design 33 ABY10 Abberley Conservation Area 37 ABY11 Employment and farm diversification 41 ABY12 Local retail and service facilities 42 Trig point, Abberley Hill Abberley Neighbourhood Development Plan · April 2021 1 1. SETTING THE SCENE Introduction 1.1 New planning powers were given to local communities by the Localism Act 2011. These include the ability to prepare Neighbourhood Development Plans as part of the statutory planning framework governing the development and use of land in the area. When planning applications are made, they must be decided in accordance with this framework unless there are overriding circumstances to the contrary. 1.2 Abberley Parish Council has decided to prepare a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) to make use of the new planning powers and help ensure that decisions on future development are guided locally. 1.3 The Neighbourhood Plan preparation process is outlined in Figure 1. The Parish Council consulted on a draft NDP in June – August 2020. The draft was revised to take account of comments received and the amended NDP was submitted to Malvern Hills District Council in November 2020. Following submission, Malvern Hills District Council consulted on the draft NDP between December 2020 and January 2021 and appointed an independent Examiner. Examination of the NDP was undertaken in March / April 2021. The Examiner’s Report, published in April 2021, concluded that, subject to recommended modifications, the NDP meets the Basic Conditions and can proceed to referendum. It is anticipated that a local referendum will be held in Abberley on 24th June 2021. If the majority of those who vote in the referendum (more than 50%) do so in favour of the NDP then it must be made (brought into legal effect) by Malvern Hills District Council. Format of the Neighbourhood Development Plan 1.4 The NDP begins by giving a thumbnail sketch of the main features of the Neighbourhood Area (chapter 2). 1.5 A vision for the Neighbourhood Area in 2030 is set out in chapter 3, together with more detailed objectives. In line with national and South Worcestershire planning policies, the NDP seeks to contribute to sustainable development by addressing social, environmental and economic matters together. Chapter 4 sets out an overarching policy for the sustainable development of the Neighbourhood Area. 1.6 The NDP then sets out policies on the development and use of land, grouped around the themes of community (chapter 5), the natural and built environments (chapters 6 and 7), and the economy (chapter 8). A concluding chapter explains how the NDP will be delivered, and includes a set of Community Actions to capture aspirations on non-land use matters. Abberley Neighbourhood Development Plan · April 2021 2 Community Parish Council decides engagement and Consultation on the to prepare an NDP informal draft NDP consultations Further consultation Submission to Revisions made in by Malvern Hills Malvern Hills District response to the District Council Council consultation NDP is ‘made’, gaining Examination Referendum full weight in planning decisions Figure 1: Neighbourhood Development Plan preparation process 1.7 The NDP has been prepared using evidence gathered from a range of sources. Much information has been taken from reports and other documentation prepared for the South Worcestershire Development Plan. This has been supplemented by local sources, including the earlier Parish Plan; a questionnaire survey of residents undertaken for the NDP; and other commissioned work on housing needs and design. The resultant ‘evidence base’ for the NDP is set out at Appendix A. National and local planning policy context 1.8 The NDP’s policies need to be read alongside the existing national and South Worcestershire planning policies which apply in the Neighbourhood Area. 1.9 National planning policy is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Planning Practice Guidance gives more detailed advice as to how national policy is to be implemented. 1.10 The South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) was adopted in February 2016 for the administrative areas of Malvern Hills District, Worcester City and Wychavon District.1 The 1 Abberley parish and the Neighbourhood Area is in the administrative area of Malvern Hills District Council. Abberley Neighbourhood Development Plan · April 2021 3 SWDP sets out strategic and non-strategic planning policies for the development of South Worcestershire up to 2030, and includes specific provisions for the Neighbourhood Area. 1.11 Abberley Common is a Category 2 village in the SWDP’s settlement hierarchy. These are settlements with at least two key services including a shop and access to daily services for employment and shopping purposes, and where some new development will be acceptable to meet local housing and employment needs. The SWDP defines a development boundary around Abberley Common to guide such growth and establish the extent of the settlement for planning purposes. Infill development inside the boundary is acceptable in principle, subject to more detailed planning policies including those set out in the NDP. Land outside the boundary, comprising the rest of the Neighbourhood Area, is open countryside where development is strictly controlled. 1.12 The SWDP also allocates three sites for new housing at Abberley Common. At the time of writing, two of the sites have planning permission. The NDP includes a policy to guide the development of the remaining site, land at The Orchard. 1.13 In addition, mineral and waste matters are addressed in Local Plans prepared by Worcestershire County Council. The NDP has been written to complement rather than duplicate these existing policies. 1.14 The SWDP is currently under review, to extend the plan period and meet the development needs of South Worcestershire up to 2041. A Preferred Options consultation was undertaken in 2019 and it is intended to complete the Review and submit the plan to the Secretary of State for examination by March 2022. The NDP has been prepared to take into account emerging amendments to adopted SWDP policies as far as possible, to ensure that complementary policies are produced. Reference is made to emerging SWDPR policies, as set out in the Preferred Options document, as appropriate. 1.15 In preparing the NDP, consideration has been given to the need for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations. Malvern Hills District Council have determined in a screening opinion that the draft NDP does not require a full SEA or a full Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations. This is because the draft NDP is considered to be in general conformity with the SWDP and does not deviate from the land allocations for development made in the SWDP. 1.16 The NDP covers the period 2020 to 2030, co-terminous with the adopted SWDP. Abberley Neighbourhood Development Plan · April 2021 4 2. ABBERLEY NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA 2.1 This chapter describes the Neighbourhood Area in terms of the social, economic and environmental aspects which contribute to sustainability and to a sense of place. 2.2 The Neighbourhood Area was designated in August 2015 for the parish of Abberley, an area of 975 hectares in the north-west of Malvern Hills District, Worcestershire (Plan 1). The Neighbourhood Area is midway between Tenbury Wells and Worcester along the A443; Worcester is some 13 km to the east. The qualifying body is Abberley Parish Council. © Crown copyright and database rights (2019) Ordnance Survey (0100060216). Not to scale. Reproduced with permission of Malvern Hills District Council. Plan 1: Abberley Neighbourhood Area Abberley Neighbourhood Development Plan · April 2021 5 The community of Abberley 2.3 The population of the Neighbourhood Area was 836 usual residents at the time of the 2011 Census. There was little change on the 2001 Census figure (832). The population density was 0.9 persons per hectare (ppha), less than that of Malvern Hills District (1.3 ppha) or England overall (4.1 ppha). 2.4 In 2011, some 87.9% of residents lived in households and 12.1% lived in communal establishments (accounted for by Abberley Hall School). Some 20% of all households were single person. The number of households rose 10% between 2001 and 2011, so that despite the slight increase in population the average size of households decreased from 2.63 persons to 2.53 in this period.